While You Were Out
by callafallon
Summary: What was life like for Pepper Potts while Tony Stark was missing and presumed dead? Movieverse spoilers.
1. There's Been an Incident

_This is in the movieverse. What did Pepper go through during the time that Tony was missing? Spoilers for the movie. _

Pepper Potts had to admit that overall it had been a pretty good birthday. She'd had dinner with that handsome guy from the legal department and he'd bought her a lovely emerald bracelet. It was the second best gift she'd received. The best gift was the briefcase her mother had sent. Usually her mother's presents were subtle reminders that Pepper wasn't getting any younger. One year, it had been a copy of the book "How to Land a Man in 30 Days". Another time it had been an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist so they could discuss the possibility of freezing her eggs. So when Pepper opened up the briefcase she was thrilled. Finally, a gift that appreciated that she was a working woman who enjoyed her job. Not just a baby factory waiting for the right guy to come along and start up production.

Sure, Mr. Stark had forgotten it was her birthday, but that was par for the course. At least this year he'd be out of the country helping to demonstrate the new Jericho missile. Last year he had managed to end up in jail on her birthday, after getting into a fist fight with a bouncer at a strip club. She'd left the small party her friends had thrown and had to spend the rest of the evening trying to bail out her boss while also trying to keep the story from hitting the papers. The year before it had been even worse. She had been with Mr. Stark in Thailand for a technology conference and had gotten so confused between the time change and the international date line that she hadn't realized it was her birthday until two days afterwards.

Yes, the best birthday gift that Tony Stark could have given her was to be in Afghanistan, away form any potential problems that she'd have to bail him out of. Although the backless blue silk dress that she had charged to his credit card was also a pretty nice present, it couldn't compare to the pleasure of having a night off from having to keep him out of trouble. As she drifted off to sleep , head swimming from champagne and her date's intense kisses goodnight, Pepper wondered what her life would be like if she worked for a normal boss.

It was literally the middle of the night when her phone rang. So much for her theory that Mr. Stark's distance would allow her to have one normal night. "Hello," she muttered, stifling a yawn.

"Miss Potts, this is Col. Rhodes."

"Being formal, aren't we James?" she teased, too tired to worry about decorum. When he didn't laugh she became nervous.

"I'm afraid that this isn't a personal call. As Mr. Stark's next of kin, I need to inform you that there has been an incident."

A thousand questions filled her mind. Since when did Tony appoint her as his next of kin? What did he mean by incident? Where was Tony now? Was he alive? Was he hurt? Was he safe?

But as she tried to talk all that came out was a small whimper that descended into a crying jag.


	2. Telling Jarvis

The moment that Tony Stark's convoy had been hit by a bomb, an explosion of a separate kind ripped through the life of Pepper Potts. Being the personal assistant to the man known simultaneously as the Di Vinci of out time and the merchant of death, meant always having to be prepared to handle a crisis, and this was going to be the biggest one of them all.

"That's what I love about you," Tony would tell her as she would clean up one of his messes without even pausing to survey the chaos. "You're a natural problem solver. You thrive in a crisis. When things get bad, you are at your best."

Pepper would level a humorless gaze at him. "I suppose I should thank you then."

"For what?" he'd ask, even though he knew the answer. They'd had this same conversation dozens of times before.

"For giving me a never ending parade of opportunities to demonstrate my ability to handle difficult situations."

As she entered the darkened Malibu mansion, it suddenly hit her that she was never going to have that particular fight with him again. There wouldn't be anymore arguments over his inability to arrive anyplace on time. No more lectures on what duties were not covered in her job description. She'd never even escort out another vapid model or pushy reporter from his bedroom. That had always been the least enjoyable part of her job, but she'd gladly play tour guide on the walk of shame if it meant that he was still alive.

_He is alive_. Pepper repeated the phrase in her head, like a child watching Peter Pan and screaming that they do believe in fairies in order to save Tinkerbell. If she kept telling herself that he was alive, then he would be. If they had wanted to kill him then they would have done it at the convoy. If they had gone through the trouble of taking him captive, then maybe it meant they'd let him live.

_Great. I'm placing all my hopes on the idea that terrorists and murders are also rational. _

"Jarvis," she said. Usually the AI butler would have been alert the moment that she entered the home, but Tony usually scheduled upgrades to take place when he would be out of town. At the sound of her voice the lights in the living room slowly came on, starting dimly and then growing to allow her eyes to adapt.

"Miss Potts," the disembodied voice said cheerfully, "This is an unexpected pleasure."

_He doesn't know. Of course not, he's been offline all night and now I show up and…_

Pepper took a deep breath, trying to remember those relaxation techniques she'd learned in that yoga class. Although she'd only made it to one lesson, and she'd had to leave that one early after Tony had ended up running out of gas in Baja California and had left his wallet at home.

She'd spent the entire car ride there cursing the name of Tony Stark and wishing that he was dead. And now…

_He is alive. He is alive. He is alive._

"Jarvis," she said, sitting down on the couch. "I have some bad news for you."

"I don't understand. Isn't it my job to report news to you? Would you like me to scan the headlines or…"

"No," she said, more loudly than she meant to. He may have just been a piece of software, but he was also the closet thing that Tony Stark had to family. He deserved to hear this from her, and not by reading it in a paper.

"Jarvis, Mr. Stark's been involved in… he's been taken with… I mean…" she was struggling with how to explain this.

If the computer had been capable of feeling emotions he'd be overcome with pity for Pepper. He could tell from the jaggedness of her breathing and the increase of her heart rate that she was in some type of distress. Jarvis scanned the headlines and quickly realized what the problem was.

"Don't worry Miss Potts," the soothing electronic voice said, "I'm sure Mr. Stark will be fine. He's gotten through worse things before, although I can't really think of any at the moment."

"Thank you Jarvis," she said. "You really know the right thing to say to make me feel better."

"It's all in the programming," he answered. Pepper smiled, realizing that Tony had been behind that programming. It was almost like Jarvis was a part of him. A part of him that didn't drink, run around with women, or relish negative attention. In other words, the part of Tony Stark that very few people, other than her, ever got to see.


	3. Getting Ready for the Day

_Thanks for all the great reviews. It's just really easy to write Tony and Pepper because they are so cute together! Also, since this takes place during the movie I don't actually have to come up with a plot. Hooray for no plots, since those are what usually screw me up!_

Pepper dreamed about him that night. It was strange, even though they had worked in close contact for years, Tony Stark hadn't invaded her sleep. Sure, she'd have the occasional waking fantasy about him, especially when he was in his tuxedo on his way to a charity event or reception, but she was always in control of these thoughts. Tonight she was totally at the will of her subconscious.

In the dream she saw him; his hair matted and his face tattooed with bruises. Still, he had that strange half smile playing on his lips. It was the default Tony Stark expression, one that looked at the world as if it was some grand joke that only he was in on. He was surrounded by shadow faced figures that would take turns hitting him.

"Usually I have to pay to get this type of beating," he said after one particularly powerful punch. "Of course, usually the people doing the battering are more comely."

Pepper tried to call out to him, but she was frozen in place unable to move or speak. She could just watch him as he took blow after blow without ever asking for mercy. Any other man would be in tears right now, begging for his life and praying to any deity available for the pain to stop. Not Tony. No, he had the same bored look on his face that he did when he had to appear at a board meeting.

The beating stopped and a large man came forward holding a knife in his hands. "You will die Mr. Stark," he said, holding the weapon above his head. "Shall we cut off your head or cut out you heart?"

Tony's eyes met hers and he gave a small wink. "That's easy. Take the heart, I don't use it anyway."

Pepper bolted awake before seeing the blade penetrate his skin, but she was still haunted by the image. Who knew what he was going through right now? The man may have been the most brilliant creative mind in American history, but he couldn't even make himself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. The one time he had tried, when Pepper had been out sick with the flu, he had used spoiled milk and ended up in the emergency room with food poisoning.

It wasn't that he wasn't capable of caring for himself. It's just that he had never had to. Growing up he always had a butler or nanny who would follow around to make sure that he never needed to do anything himself. Things that she took for granted, like doing a load of laundry, were completely foreign to his experience.

She remembered the Christmas when he had insisted on decorating a tree. "You know," he'd said, "I want to decorate it like they do in the movies."

"I'm afraid I don't actually understand what you mean." She was chasing after him as he was pacing up and down his collection of cars, unable to pick one. "Maybe if you could tell me the name of this movie I could look it up and..."

He stopped in his tracks suddenly, and she nearly ran into him. Tony reached his hand out to make sure she didn't fall over, and he held it on her shoulder a moment longer than he needed to. "You know what I'm talking about. That scene in the movies where they have a tree and put little glass balls on it and lights and those popcorn strands. Where do you buy those? Do they come pre-popped you do you need to microwave them?"

"You want to decorate a Christmas Tree?"

He nodded, "Yeah. I've never done that before and it looks like fun."

"Wait," she said holding up her hands. "You've never decorated a Christmas Tree? How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. Mom always hired people to put up our tree, and then she didn't want me touching it because the ornaments were so expensive." His eyes were starting to glaze over, meaning that he was about to give up this particular whim and start drinking instead. For a man who could spend weeks working on a single engineering quirk, his attention span for non-design issues was disturbingly short.

Not wanting to lose the moment, Pepper had called Hogan to meet them at the tree lot with the limo and plenty of rope.

Pepper smiled at the memory of the three of them sitting in the living room and blocking that million dollar ocean view with a large spruce tree that was dropping needles everywhere. Tony had a drink in one hand and was badly trying to string popcorn with the other, while ordering Hogan and Pepper where exactly to place the ornaments. In the end the tree had looked as if it had been the one drinking; it leaned to one side and the ornaments were poorly spread out so that there were bare patches. But Tony had just looked at it with childlike eyes and declared it the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

They had so many great memories. And now that was all that was left...

_No. He is alive. _

"Jarvis," she called out, still reclining on the couch where she'd fallen asleep last night.

"Good morning Miss Potts. The time is 7:58 AM, and the temperature is..."

"I don't need the weather report. I need to know if there are any updates about Mr. Stark."

She had been short with him, but the restless night in combination with pain in her neck fron sleeping in a strange position had left her feeling moody. It was easy to take her feelings out on Jarvis, even though she felt oddly guilty about it.

Jarvis had also noted her unusually curt behavior, and had added a note about it in Mr. Stark's personal data record on her. _Not a morning person_.

"There is no new information about Mr. Stark," Jarvis said. "However, there is an important message on your voice mail from Mr. Stane. Would you like me to play it for you?"

How did he have access to her voice mail? And why was he going through them? She was going to yell at him when she realized that this must be what he did for Tony every morning. She was there to go through his messages and bring things to his attention from 9-5, or more accurately from 9am-9pm, but in those hours when she was at home, he needed someone to do that for him.

"Yes, play the message."

The calm study voice of Obadiah Stane echoed through the living room. "Pepper, I know this is a terrible time for all of us. I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay." There was something soothing about his demeanor, so confident even as everything felt like it was falling apart.

"I also wanted to let you know that we're holding a press conference at 9:00am at Stark Industries. Rhodes is covering the military stuff, and I'll answer the business related questions, but it would be great if you could be there to help with the more human interest aspects of the story."

Pepper looked at her watch. It was almost 8 now, and with traffic she'd never make it back home to change and manage to be on time. As if reading her mind, Jarvis spoke up. "You could get dressed here. There is a collection of suitable clothing in the guest room, and I could arrange for Hogan to pick you up in the helicopter."

"Fine," she relented. "But I'm terrified to see what exactly you consider to be suitable clothing." As she walked to the guest room and opened the wardrobe, she was amazed to find a collection of smart and conservative women's suits. She selected a dark gray one, deciding to avoid black because she wasn't in mourning since he wasn't dead. When she inspected it Pepper realized it was new. The price tag was even hanging off the sleeve.

"Why does Mr. Stark have these clothes?" she asked, suddenly feeling slightly jealous at the thought that he might have a girlfriend she didn't know about. Someone he cared enough about to buy clothes for. Someone who was classy enough to wear these things.

"I'm afraid I don't know. He simply adds a new suit to the collection now and then." Anticipating her next question, he added, "And he never takes any of them out or gives them to anyone."

"It's quite the mystery."

"Yes. We'll have to ask him when he returns."

She took the suit and began walking towards Tony's bathroom, pausing for a moment outside the door. She'd never actually been in here before. There had been a few times she'd been in his bedroom, either to wake him up from a hangover or to dismiss a particularly clingy conquest, but there had never been a reason to come into his bathroom.

Tony would have loved to watch her discomfort at this moment. If she closed her eyes she could picture him staring at her with mocking dark eyes and a tight smile. "Come on Potts," he would have joked, "It's just a bathroom. Sink. Toilet. Shower. It isn't like you're going into my secret sex dungeon... although if you'd like I could get you on the guest list."

His imaginary taunt emboldened her, and soon she was in the inner sanctum. It was just a bathroom, although as she entered the shower she became confused. There were two shower heads, each with their own temperature and power control.Slowly, she realized that the shower had been designed for two people to use at once, and her cheeks flushed. Oh, he really would have been enjoying seeing her like this. Not just naked in his shower, although he would have liked that too, but seeing her flustered.

"You're lovely when you embarrassed," he had told her once, after she had accidently walked in on him while he was getting dressed. "Your face is almost as red as your hair. And your lips tremble slightly, just enough so that you want to reach out and touch them, to keep them still."

"You're just trying to keep me from being angry at you! I knocked on the door and you said come in."

"Yes. So?"

Pepper's face flushed again, and Tony took a step closer watching the colors change. "You were naked. When someone says come in, usually it means that they are wearing clothes!"

"I don't know why you're so embarrassed. I'm the one who was caught au natural. And I should tell you, that I've been too busy to workout lately, but I'll be getting back to the gym next week. So, don't hold the gut against me."

"Of course, Mr. Stark."

"Also, it was pretty cold in there so just keep that in mind." As if she could possibly get the image out of her mind!

The trip down memory lane had kept her in the shower longer than she intended. She just had enough time to dress and brush her hair and teeth when Jarvis alerted her that the helicopter had arrived. Before walking out the door, Pepper glanced at her reflection in the long mirror. She looked exactly the same as she had yesterday morning, and all of the mornings before that. It was strange, she thought, that we can look so perfect on the outside, even as everything falls apart inside.


	4. Tony's Mojo

Pepper Potts didn't know what she was doing here, about to go on stage before dozens of reporters to answer questions. This wasn't what she did. The Press Conference was Tony Stark's arena, where he could slay reporter's questions like a gladiator facing down a pride of lions. Over the years she had been approached by many successful businessmen and politicians who had asked her what his secret was. how was he able to so effortlessly become the ringmaster of a media circus?

Honestly, she didn't know. Usually, the hour before these things were spent going over the prepared speech until he had it memorized and was ready to go. Then the moment he got out there he ignored everything they had rehearsed, and he would just start talking in the casual tone he used when he was picking up a girl at a bar. To the untrained eye, Tony Stark looked like he just didn't care. His answers were glib, his body language was lax, and he would often cut off questions by claiming they were "too stupid".

Maybe that was the trick. The less Tony cared, the more the press catered to him, as if they were begging him to give them another chance. It was a plan of attack that had worked on conquring women and businessmen; why not the mainstream media?

Of course, that particular tactic had never worked with Pepper. When she first began as his assistant he didn't talk to her in anything other than one word answers. It had gone on for two months, until the day when she asked him what he wanted for lunch, and he answered "Anything." She'd showed up with a tongue sandwich topped with sauerkraut and mustard. After that, he became dramatically more verbose.

"That's his mojo," Hogan had explained over drinks while they waited for Tony to finish his presentation to the stockholders. "He does that one word trick with all the new girls. They assume that he hates them, so they drive themselves nuts trying to get his attention."

Pepper shook her head. "I can't believe that would actually work. Maybe on a few silly girls but..."

"39."

"Excuse me?" she asked, unsure what he meant.

"Stark's slept with his 39 previous assistants using that little trick," Hogan held up his glass, toasting his boss' track record. "Before you, the longest hold out was three days."

They were quiet for a moment as he stared at her delicate pale face, and she tried to pretend she didn't notice his attention. "Here's a piece of advice for you," he offered, downing the rest of his drink. "Don't sleep with him."

"I wasn't planning on it." Pepper crossed her arms and turned away from him, insulted by the suggestion.

"None of them ever plan on it. But they all do it. And then, the next morning, the new girl gets to escort them out to my car and I get to drive them to the unemployment office." He sighed deeply, running his large hand through his black hair. "Look Pepper, I like you. I like you far too much to have to take that drive with you. So, don't sleep with him. For both of our sakes."

Poor Hogan. He had been a wreck in the helicopter this morning, asking for every piece of information she had on Tony. Her answers had been frighteningly brief. The truth was, there wasn't any information. He was just gone.

"You look like you've got the weight of the world on those little shoulders," Obadiah said as he walked up behind her. He took her slim body into a comforting embrace, and as she felt his arms around her she left herself cry for the second time in two days.

"It's okay," he murmured in her ear. "We're going to get through this. It's what Tony would have wanted."

Pulling away, Pepper wiped her eyes and tried to compose herself. "I feel silly crying in front of you. Actually, I feel silly crying at all. It isn't what Mr. Stark would have wanted."

The older man brushed a stray reddish blonde hair out of her face. "I suspect Tony would have loved the idea of a beautiful woman crying over him. Especially, if the woman was you."

Pepper's stomach began to twist as he spoke. She'd known Obadiah Stane as long as she had known Tony. He was always popping over to the house to talk with him about the business, or just to see how he was doing. Tony didn't have any family, not anymore, but Obadiah was close. As his father's former business partner and best friend, he was like an uncle to Tony. Someone who could connect him with his parent's memory while still allowing him space to be his own person.

So why did Pepper feel every muscle in her body was twitching, begging her to run as far away from him as possible?

_I'm just nervous about the press conference. It isn't Mr. Stane I'm afraid of, it's that sea of jackass journalists. _

"I had my writer put together a brief statement for you," he handed her a half dozen index cards. "Just the normal stuff. Tony Stark was a great man, he gave a lot to the community, we're all going to miss him."

"Miss him? You're making it sound like he's dead."

"Pepper," he whispered, "Tony is dead. He was dead the moment he got captured. There's no way the're going to release him, not when they can hang him up as a trophy to demonstrate the power of brute force over technological strength."

_No. He is alive. He is alive. He is alive. _The mantra repeated in her head, but the words wouldn't come out of her dry mouth. Assuming her silence meant that she agreed with him, Obadiah led her to the press room to begin the conference.


	5. Rubbing Off On Her

_Thanks for the great reviews and for reading! It's kind of crazy that the movie has only been out one week and there's already this growing Pepper/Tony fandom. I guess it's a sign of how great the actors were that they took a handful of scenes together and made us all want more!_

As Pepper trotted towards the limo, her heels clicking quickly, she could see the broad and toothy smile on Hogan's face. "Not a word," she threatened, pointing a slim finger at his him.

"I just wanted to congratulate you…" Pepper put her hands against her ears, trying to ignore him.

"…on having the least professional…" She started humming loudly, drowning out his statement.

"...press conference in the history of..." Desperate to silence him, Pepper cupped her palm over Hogan's mouth. She tried to maintain her angry expression, but it cracked and she started laughing. It was a deep and cathartic laugh that shook through her body and passed along to Hogan, whose own chuckle was a low rumble.

Since Rhodes' phone call the night before she had cried for her lost boss, but the act made her feel empty. If Tony had been there he would have mocked her tears. "That isn't going to get anything done," she could imagine him saying. "It's just going to smear your makeup and make your eyes puffy. And we can't have you looking less than perfect. It isn't like I keep you around for your brains and ability."

No, he wouldn't have wanted her to weep for him. But he would have appreciated her and Hogan laughing like this. Other than solving a programming problem, there was nothing he liked more than making people laugh. The man would go to any extreme in order to get the punchline.

On the first anniversary of her employment with him, Tony had called her into his office at Stark Industries to present her performance review. He'd kept her sitting in the waiting room for an hour, and then didn't look at her when she walked in. Instead he focused on the stack of papers on his desk, making notes in the margins.

"Mr. Stark?" she said, breaking his concentration. "If you want to reschedule our meeting, I know you have an opening later this afternoon."

He looked up, cocking his head to the side as if he wasn't sure who she was. "I'm sorry? Did we have an appointment Miss…"

"I don't have time for one of your games."

"No," he said seriously, "I don't have an appointment with a Miss Idon'thavetimeforyourgames. This must be some type of misunderstanding. I was expecting Pepper Potts."

She narrowed her eyes, taking on the appearance of a cat about to pounce. Realizing that his ever patient assistant was at the end of her rope, he pretended that he had suddenly recognized her.

"Pepper? Is that you? I'll admit, I don't really look at your face. If you walked in backwards I'd be more likely to identify you."

"Mr. Stark!"

He adjusted his tie and swallowed deeply. "Let's get down to it then." He handed her a copy of the evaluation. As she read it, there was genuine surprise at how professional it was. He'd praised her attention to detail, her willingness to work after hours, and said that he couldn't imagine functioning without her. As she came to the section entitled "Areas Employee Need to Work On" her jaw dropped. He'd written, in the clear block lettering of an engineer, that the only thing she needed to develop was her sense of humor.

"Is this some type of joke?"

"The fact that you have to ask if something is a joke sort of proves my point," Tony observed seriously.

"I'll have you know that I have an excellent sense of humor."

"Really? Because I don't think that I've ever heard you laugh."

"Maybe that's because you've never done anything funny enough to deserve one of my laughs."

That answer caused him to give an involuntary chortle that he tried to cover with a cough. He leaned back in his chair, propping his designer shoes on the desk. "Miss Potts. I'll have you know that I have an excellent sense of humor. If you don't find me funny, the problem must be with you."

Tony leaned back further, and his chair tipped over, sprawling him across the floor of his office. Pepper couldn't help but erupt in a torrent of giggles at the sight of him, trying to get off the floor while still retaining a modicum of dignity.

Had he fallen on purpose? At the time she'd assumed it was an accident, but he was the type of man who placed humor above personal comfort. _If… no…when I see him again, I'll have to ask him about it. I'll have to ask him a lot of things. _

Hogan opened the door of the limousine for her, but she declined, instead choosing to ride in the front passenger seat next to him. "Seriously," he said as he started the engine, "Wherever Tony is, I hope that they have CNN. Because that press conference would have made his day."

Pepper knew he was right, and secretly she hoped that maybe her boss had been watching her as she managed to give an excellent demonstration of how not to conduct oneself in front of the media. Oh, the conference had started off well enough. Colonel Jim Rhodes had given an update about the military's efforts to find Tony Stark. They were using hundreds of men in conjunction with Stark Industries' latest and greatest satellite imaging technology. He was confident that they would find him, although he hadn't promised that he would be living.

"This is a search and rescue mission at this time," he'd claimed when one reporter pressed him on the likelihood that Stark was still alive. The media would report the first part of the sentence, giving people hope. Pepper's mind was stuck on the phrase, "at this time" knowing that it meant that Rhodes was prepared for things to change for the worse.

After that, Obadiah Stane had talked about how Stark Industries was handling the disappearance of their chief engineer and CEO. "Tony was never really involved in the day to day operations of the business. He was a visionary inventor and his work inspired every employee to strive for that Stark level of excellence. And I'm sure that even though he isn't here, the memory of Tony Stark will continue to inspire us towards better and better work."

Bile was rising in Pepper's mouth. How could Obadiah be so calm and collected as he delivered this elegy to Tony Stark? It was like he was talking about the stock price, and not the disappearance of his friend and co-worker. Actually, Obadiah was usually more animated when he talked about stock prices. He sounded like he was delivering the daily weather report.

"Mr. Stane," one of the reporters asked, "What happens to Mr. Stark's stock and voting power in the company?"

"Tony's Stark Industries stock, along with many of the other assets he inherited from his parents, are held in a trust. Not to get too technical, but with Tony gone, I'll administer the trust." He gave a large and friendly smile. "So, the thing to focus on is that there will be no disruption to the way things are run."

No Disruptions? Pepper couldn't help but roll her eyes. Oh, it was completely unprofessional, and chances are that the clip of her expression would be played on CNBC over and over again as they dissected what it meant. She just didn't care about presenting a united front and reassuring the stockholders. The only people she cared about were those who cared about Tony, and that circle was apparently much smaller than she'd assumed.

"And now," Obadiah said grandly, "To talk about the more personal side of Tony Stark is the woman behind the man, Pepper Potts." He motioned for her to come to the lectern. Once standing there, looking down at the roomful of reporters, he head began to spin. Following the instructions she'd given to Tony many times before, she decided to stick to the cards.

"Not many people knew the real Tony Stark," she read. "They see the tabloid stories and read the gossip and assumed that was all there was to him. But, underneath the rumors and innuendo, was a kind and caring man. A man who believed in the promise that we could build a better tomorrow with what we did today."

The words didn't register in her mind until after she'd said them. A man who believed that we could build a better tomorrow? That wasn't Tony Stark. The only thing he cared about was right now. Past and future be damned. If he could hear her making this sappy speech he'd jump off the closest bridge.

Pepper tossed the index cards on the ground. "You know what, this isn't right. This whole thing isn't right. The truth is that every rumor you've ever heard about Tony Stark is true. He likes his cars and women to be fast. He likes his wet bar and investment portfolio to be well stocked. The thing he hates most in the world is pointless displays of emotion, and that's what this whole thing is, because Tony Stark is alive."

A low buzz echoed through the room. From the front row the blonde barracuda that Pepper had met in Tony's living room asked, "Do you have any new information that leads you to believe that? Have you spoken to Mr. Stark?"

"No," she admitted, quickly adding, "But there's no reason to assume that he's dead. In fact, there's more proof that he is alive. I mean, he's Tony Stark. In case of Armageddon I'm putting my money on him to come through."

Obadiah had grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her away from the podium. He began to apologize for her outburst. "I think Miss Potts is just expressing the hope that we all have that Tony will be okay. But even if he isn't…" she was out of earshot before she could hear the rest of his speech.

Rolling her eyes. Not sticking to the prepared remarks. Storming out of the room. Oh, Tony would have loved to see her behavior in there. He would have given her one of those rare genuine smiles and congratulated her on the performance. "Good work Potts," she imagined him saying, "I'm glad that after all this time I'm starting to rub off on you. Although, I'd still rather rub off on you, if you know what I mean."

_Wonderful! Even in my mind the guy is sexually harassing me._

When she walked into Tony's house she was greeted immediately by Jarvis. "Miss Potts, I took the liberty of watching your press conference today, and there was a slight problem."

"Slight problem? Did Tony program you towards understatement?"

Jarvis paused. "I'm afraid I don't understand the question. Could you rephrase?"

"Nevermind."

"As I was saying," Jarvis continued, "There was a misstatement in something Mr. Stane said. He claimed that Mr. Stark's stock would revert to him, which is true if Mr. Stark was dead. But if he is simply missing everything would be under the control of his appointed representative."

"And who would that be?" Some lawyer, she assumed, or maybe one of his many accountants or bankers. Someone who he would trust to be able to handle big business and high finance during his absence.

"Why Miss Potts," Jarvis answered with what could almost be called coyness, "It's you!"


	6. WWTSD?

_Once again, thanks for reading! Did everyone see that Iron Man was #1 again this week. Anyway, I'm not really that happy with this chapter but I had to write it because I needed to get some plot stuff out there. I tried to get some Tony/Pepper stuff too. _

It wasn't like Alan to be late. Not that Pepper had was close enough to the man to know the details of his idiosyncrasies, but he always arrived early to their dates, although they'd only been out on four of them. He was an attorney who worked in the Stark Industries legal department. She knew him well enough to say "hello" when they'd end up sharing an elevator, but she hadn't considered him a romantic prospect until she was being prepped for a deposition. They had spent hours together, at first discussing the case, but eventually branching off to other topics once they realized they had so much in common. They were both workaholics, they both had considered majoring in Art History before switching to disciplines with better career opportunities, and they had both given up on the hope of finding a romantic partner.

"With all the hours I put into my job," he had joked, "The only way I'll meet someone is if she is a Judge or a pizza delivery person."

Pepper understood the problem completely. "Typically the only men I meet are the ones who are coming to collect their wives from Mr. Stark's bedroom." She wasn't sure what had caused her to say something so inappropriate. Even if it was sadly accurate.

"I think I should go home. It's getting late, and I'm clearly losing control of my senses." Pepper gathered together her papers, pausing as Alan gently placed his hand on hers.

"Before you leave," he said, "let me try and take advantage of your loss of control and ask you to join me over dinner Friday night. I know that you have a rule against dating fellow employees but..."

"Why would you think that?"

Alan shifted nervously. "It's just sort of a well known fact that you don't date people you work with. Everyone knows it. Even Tony Stark jokes about it. When he catches one of us staring at you... not that we stare at you... anyway, Stark will make a joke that we shouldn't waste our time because of your strict rule against... well..."

Pepper couldn't decide if she found his sudden nervousness to be adorable or infuriating. Unable to decide between yelling at him to finish the damn story and leaning over to kiss him, she went with a soft smile. One that let him know that she wasn't going to shoot the messenger for relaying whatever it was Tony had said about her.

It worked, and Alan was able to finish his sentence. "Stark says you have this rule that you don't mix business and pleasure."

"That doesn't sound like Mr. Stark," she observed. "Why don't you tell me what he really said?"

The poor man couldn't look her in the eye, in fact he had to look in the opposite direction just to get the words out. "I think the phrase he used was that you didn't 'share your hole with anyone on the payroll.'"

Yes, that sounded much more like the man she knew. Although she didn't know why on earth he would go around telling people that she didn't date fellow Stark Industry employees. When Pepper had first started working for him she had found that the company was the only place she ever had a chance to meet men. She'd dated Bill in Engineering and Frank from R&D. They weren't the great loves of her life, but it was a way to spend a Saturday night. On the occasions she wasn't working on Saturday night.

Pepper wondered if Tony's comments had been the reason that none of the Stark employees had asked her out in years. She had figured that she was simply losing her touch, or that they were intimidated of the woman who worked so closely with their boss. Maybe this whole time she could have been working in the same building as her "Mr. Right" and didn't know it because they all thought she was off limits.

"I'd love to go out with you," she told Alan, giving him her private cell phone number. Dinner had led to an art gallery opening, then a charity wine tasting, and, finally, her birthday dinner the night before. Had it really just been yesterday that she was getting Tony ready for his flight and then going off for a romantic celebration? It felt as if it had been a lifetime ago, not just a day. Time had a funny way of speeding up when things were at their best only to come to a screeching halt once the situation had reversed.

Pepper looked at her watch again, starting to get worried. Where was Alan? 30 minutes was past the point of simply being late and had moved into the territory of being cause for concern or contempt. There was a small knocking noise at the door, which was impossible since Jarvis would have alerted her to any presence on the grounds. When the knocking didn't stop she went to investigate for herself.

"Alan!" she cried, opening the door. He was cute, in a common way, with one of those faces that made you stare at it, trying to figure out if you recognize him from somewhere. "How long have you been waiting outside?"

"45 minutes. The robot kept telling me that I wasn't authorized." Pepper frowned, wondering why Jarvis hadn't alerted her to his presence. She had told him that she was expecting company and that she wanted to be alerted immediately. Maybe something was wrong with his programming?

"Jarvis," she called out.

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"Run system diagnostic, maintenance and calibration." Hopefully it wasn't anything serious, since nobody except Tony could sort out the complex code he'd used to give Jarvis his almost human interface.

"That action will take approximately 3 hours to complete. Would you like me to wait until after our _guest_ has left?" His pronounced the word guest with clear dislike and more than a hint of the sarcasm upgrade that Tony had been so proud of.

"No, begin the system check immediately. It's clear that you need it." As she had been talking to Jarvis, Alan was walking around the Malibu estate with wide eyed wonder. Pepper was so used to the place that she'd forgotten how impressive it was, especially the unobstructed view of the ocean.

"Let's go outside," she suggested, taking Alan's hand and waking to the terrace. The sun had set, but the sky was still pink with the lingering blush of dusk. Pepper closed her eyes and let the sounds of the breaking waves lull her into a state of calm, where there wasn't any past or future. There was only the cool ocean breeze pushing her hair back, and the salty smell of the beach taking over her senses.

It was strange to be standing out here appreciating this vantage without Tony there with her. Sometimes he'd talk her into working outside on these warm summer nights. He'd stand against the railing swirling a glass of bourbon and telling her some completely inappropriate story about how he had used this view to seduce some famous actress . Pepper would type away on her laptop, pretending that she ddn't even hear him talking, until he dropped one of his conversational bombs.

"And then, she took off her dress, and she didn't have a belly button."

At first she would try to keep working, but Tony knew her well, and he wouldn't continue with his story until she'd ask about it. "Are you joking?"

"I'm totally serious. She'd had it surgically removed because it was an outie, and would make a little bump when she'd wear tight dresses."

She would ask him again if he was kidding. While Tony Stark was an accomplished liar, he had an odd quirk. If you asked him if he was lying, he'd deny it. But if you asked him twice, he'd shrug and admit the truth. "No, she had a belly button. But wouldn't it be cool if she didn't."

When Pepper felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist she was startled. "Alan," she whispered, as she remembered that he was here with her instead of her boss.

"This place is amazing," he said, letting his breath tickle her ear. "No wonder the man is such a player. What woman could resist this?"

Pepper pulled away from his embrace, anger flaring through her body. "I don't know what you're suggesting, but there are plenty of women who can keep their clothes on even when looking out at the ocean. I am one of them."

"I wasn't saying that you couldn't." She knew that he hadn't meant to imply that she had slept with Mr. Stark, but for some reason she was still mad at him. Although she couldn't pinpoint of her anger was because of what he said, or because he had interrupted her thoughts about Tony.

She led him back into the house and sat down on the couch. He sat next to her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close, so that her pale cheek rested on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know that you've been going through a lot and I haven't been here for you. But I'm here now, so how can I help."

"Did you have a chance to look over those paper I sent you?"

It was clear that hadn't been the help he had been expecting her to ask for, instead hoping for something a little more physical, but he reluctantly retrieved his briefcase. "Well, it is a little complicated. The Stark trust was crated with a number of conditions. If Stark was killed, deemed mentally incompetent, or jailed then control of his stock and other assets would transfer to Obadiah Stane. But there is no mention about what happens if he is missing, and so that is covered under his personal estate plan, where he named you his representative."

"So, I'm the President of Stark Industries?"

"No," Alan chuckled at her ignorance. "You can't appoint someone else to take over your job. That would need to be approved by the board. But, you do control his voting power, stock portfolio, as well as this house, his research and his bank accounts. At least until he's found, declared dead, or an heir is discovered. Which could be any day now."

There were at least 3 paternity lawsuits a week against Tony Stark, although none of them had ever been successful. Pregnant women lined up to get DNA tests for their children, even if they'd never been with Tony, on the hope that maybe the glass slipper would fit and they'd be set for life. With all the women that he had taken to bed, it was only a matter of time until he ended up a father. At least that was what people assumed. Pepper knew the truth, although it had came out in a highly embarrassing conversation that had started when she had asked if he had thought about the possibility of being a father.

"Don't worry," he'd said, not looking up from his computer schematic, "I got it covered."

"It's my job to worry about you. Besides, my job description doesn't include babysitting."

"Really? I thought that babysitting was what you did with me." Looking up from his project le locked his dark eyes with her blue ones. "Like I said, I got it covered. Literally. I keep _it_ covered."

She was blushing again, trying to hide it by turning away from him and looking at one of the monitors on the wall. "Even so, I'm sure you know that... method isn't 100 effective."

"It is the way I do it." Tony walked away from his work and poured them both a drink. He downed his in one fluid motion, and when Pepper declined hers, he did the same with it. "When I was 19 I had the factory closed down for business. A few snips, a weekend with an ice pack on my groin, and I never have to worry about and baby mama drama."

It was classic Tony Stark working in his engineering mode. There was a problem he was faced with and he came up with the solution. Even if it was path that most people wouldn't have ever considered. But that was why he was so great at what he did Tony never let something like emotion get in the way of solving a problem.

That was what Pepper needed to do now. Being put in charge of Tony's considerable holdings, along with being a voting member on the board and having controlling interest in the company, were all problems she hadn't expected. Problems that were overwhelming because she was so involved in the feelings that this brought up. But Tony had left her in charge for a reason, choosing her over someone with more experience like Obadiah. She wasn't about to let him down. The last thing he needed when he made it back home, because she knew he would make it back home, was learning that she hadn't lived up to his expectations.


	7. The Funeral of Tony Stark

The funeral of Tony Stark was a reverent affair, highlighted by long winded speeches from his business partners that highlighted his many awards and inventions. If he were able to talk, he would have called it the worst party he'd ever been to. Pepper was wearing a high collared black laced dress that reminded her of something that you'd see school marm's wearing in old movies. It stood out in drastic contract to the apparel of all the other women in attendance, Tony's numerous conquests, who seemed to be in a competition to see who could wear the least amount of clothing possible without being arrested for public nudity.

"He was an excellent lover," one of the women said to her, "Once you experienced his Tantric massage, you were spoiled for all other men. Don't you agree?"

"I wouldn't know," Pepper muttered.

"Really? You mean in all your time working together he never showed you that his magic touch with machinery extended to the female form? He never used his expertise in physics to apply just the right amount of pressure and torque to bring you to ecstasy? You've never experienced the shifting sensations between his smooth lips and the rough scratch of his goatee?"

Pepper shook her head, "No. We had a strictly professional relationship."

"Pity," the woman said, walking away as her slinky black dress rode up exposing her tanned thighs.

Obadiah walked next to the coffin and began to talk, not needing a microphone to project his naturally deep voice. "Tony Stark's death isn't all bad. We know that he is in a better place now."

Tony sat up in the coffin, adjusting his crooked tie. "Better place? I have billions of dollars, thousands of lovers, and a house that talks to me. There is no better place than right here."

Pepper's heart soared. He was alive. But as she glanced around the room, everyone else still was wearing their mourning faces. Except for Rhodey, who was chatting up the blonde twins from Maxim's December cover. Didn't anyone else see what was going on.

Obadiah certainly didn't seem phased by it. "Tony Stark wouldn't want us to cry over him," he said, "He'd want us to move on. To continue to create and innovate. And, of course, to buy up some more Stark Industry stock. Because there's no better way to remember a man, than to invest heavily in his corporate legacy."

"Personally, I'd prefer if you'd remember me by letting me out of this thing." Tony tried to stand up, but Obadiah slammed the lid of the coffin shut. As Tony screamed for help, Stane pulled a lever and the coffin lowered into the ground until it disappeared.

Pepper opened her eyes, trying to remember where she was and what was happening. That whole funeral had just been a dream, a nightmare really. Tony was still missing. She was still sleeping at his home, moving from the couch into one of the sparsely decorated guest rooms.

It was strange that Tony even had guest rooms, since he never had any company. Or, more accurately, he didn't have any company that didn't share his bed. His only friends, Jim Rhodes and Happy Hogan, both had their own homes in the city and wouldn't need to stay the night at Tony's. He didn't have any family to occupy the rooms. They just sat empty, as is he was running the world's most unsuccessful bed and breakfast.

At one point he had suggested that she move in with him. "It only makes sense. You're here all the time anyway." Pepper sighed deeply, trying to ignore him. She didn't think he was serious. It was just Tony, thinking out loud again. Her silence only motivated him to talk more.

"Think about all the gas you'd save by eliminating your commute. Al Gore would be proud of you. We could move you into one of the guest rooms, and Jarvis already adores you, so that won't be a problem."

Pepper sat her work aside, understanding that this wasn't just a Stark flight of fancy. He was looking at her like a child trying to convince his parents to let him stay up late, a face full of unbridled optimism. It was so much easier to deal with him when he was in cynical bastard mode.

"Tony," she began, using his first name to try and soften the blow, "I am not moving in here. You'd hate having me around all the time trying to keep you on schedule and interrupting your late night visitors."

He waved his hand dismissively. "This place is huge. We'd never even see each other after work. Unless it was an emergency. Or if one of us was lonely, and needed to talk."

"If you need to talk you can always call me. Or Hogan or Rhodey. We don't need to become roommates." She walked over to the bar and poured Tony a tumbler of whisky. Normally, she hated when he drank in the afternoons, but this was a special circumstance. He needed to have something to calm him down, or so she justified to herself.

"I work very hard," she explained, handing him the drink. "At the end of the day I need someplace to go where I don't think about appointments, or scheduling, or anything else work related. Don't you have a place like that?"

"Yeah. It's called drunk."

Jarvis' calm mechanical voice interrupted her thoughts. "Miss Potts. The security system has detected visitors entering the grounds. It's Mr. Stane and three other cars that are registered to Stark Industries."

"What time is it?"

"6:03 AM. At their current rate of speed, Mr. Stane should arrive here in 4 minutes and 27 seconds. 25 seconds. 23 second."

"I get it," Pepper said, throwing her long legs out of bed. She quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt that she'd brought from home. She brushed her teeth quickly, and pulled her long red hair into a low slung ponytail. By the time Jarvis announced Stane's arrival she was seated in the living room going through the mass of emails that had come in overnight.

"Pepper," Stane said, "I didn't expect you here so early."

"I just got here," she lied. While she knew there was nothing wrong with her moving into the house it wasn't something she was ready to share with the world. Everyone would take it the wrong way, chalking it up to another sign that she and Tony had more than a working relationship. Most people already assumed the only reason she'd managed to hold onto this job so long was because she was sleeping with him. Ironically, it was the fact that Pepper hadn't succumbed to his charms that insured her job security.

Stane walked around the living room, looking out at the cracking of the sun on the horizon. "I've been thinking about that press conference yesterday," he said absently.

"What about it?" Logically, she should have apologized for her behavior, but she didn't want to. The dream that woke her this morning had served to remind her that Tony was still alive, even as the world was ready to bury his memory. She wasn't going to feel bad about standing up for him when nobody else would.

"I was thinking that you were right." He glanced back, pleased to see that she was shocked. "He's only been missing for a few days. We need to act as if he is coming back, which means doing what Tony would do if he was here."

For the first time in the last few days she actually felt as if she wasn't alone anymore. Obadiah would help her sort this out. "I'm glad you agree with me. I'm sure Tony would appreciate it too."

"That's why we came here," he pointed to the 6 suited men who had followed him into the house. "Tony wouldn't want his research to grow cold during his absence. I've brought these men to help gather his project logs and data from his private server. If you could just give us the access codes to his workshop…"

"No." The answer came out so quickly that she hadn't even thought about it. She didn't have to. His workshop and private research were things he didn't share with anyone. While Tony Stark was more than happy to talk about his sex life, personal thoughts, and embarrassing secrets, his work was held in the strictest privacy. The only way he'd let these men have access to his work was over his dead body.

_And he isn't dead. He isn't dead. He isn't dead._

Stane motioned for the other men to leave the room. Once they were alone he stood behind her, placing his large hands on her shoulders. She'd never considered Obadiah as an imposing figure because he had such a friendly attitude. But she was starting to feel anxious again, as she had before the press conference. There was something about the man that struck her as dangerous, like a large dog that could either lick your face or rip out your throat depending on its mood.

"Pepper," he said, "I don't want to have to pull rank, but with Tony gone I'm in charge of all of his assets. That includes the company, his research, and even this house. Not that I mind you living here, but if I wanted to I could force you out."

"How did…"

"Your feet," he said. "As long as I've known you, you've always had the most spectacular taste in shoes. I'd never seen you without a pair of heels. Until this morning, when you're sitting barefoot on the couch, with no shoes in sight."

Pulling herself out of his grip, Pepper stood up and stared him down. "I don't want to disagree with you, but the truth is that as long at Tony is missingI'm in charge. You only get control if he was dead, and we both know he isn't."

"What do you mean 'we both know'?"

Unconsciously she took a step away from him. "I only meant that we both get the daily updates from Rhodey. They haven't found any signs of his body or any suggestion that he is dead. So, he must be alive."

Stane relaxed and actually smiled, although it was a smile that chilled her with its suddenness. "For almost 7 years the entire military has been looking for a sick old man in those mountains, and they haven't found anything. It's possible that they'll never find Tony's body. And you need to be ready to move on when the time comes."

He gave Pepper a pat on the shoulder and walked away, whistling as he left the house. Pepper sat down, realizing that her legs were shaking from the adrenaline. It wasn't even 7 AM and she was ready for a drink. All this time she'd thought that it was Tony Stark the man that enjoyed escaping through booze and sex. Maybe it was really the position that led to that behavior. She'd only been doing this for 2 days and she'd already wrecked a press conference, fought with her boyfriend, and managed to have a Mexican showdown with the #2 man at Stark Industries. If she kept this up she'd have out Tony'd Tony Stark by the end of the week.


	8. The Military Mind

_OK, I've struggled with this chapter. I have to get some plot stuff out of the way. And it doesn't help that Rhodey and Pepper don't really have a scene together in the movie so it was really hard for me to figure out how they'd interact. But I wanted to get this chapter out there because I know so many of you have been waiting for it. I hope it isn't too bad. _

It had been two weeks since she had talked to Rhodey, when he'd called and told her, in that emotionless military voice, that there had been an incident. An incident. The fact that he was able to report the kidnapping of his best friend by calling it an incident had chilled Pepper's blood. At least at first. But since that first phone call, Jim Rhodes had dedicated all his time to supervising the search for Tony Stark. She received multiple email updates each day from him that came around the clock which showed that he wasn't sleeping anymore. When Pepper would see him on television he looked thin, which probably meant he was skipping meals also.

Men were strange animals, she thought while she impaled the olive nestled in the bottom of her martini glass. Rhodey would have never dared say that he missed Tony, but he would gladly run himself ragged to try and bring his friend home. That was the thing that was so attractive and infuriating about the entire gender; they showed their true feelings through actions instead of words.

She motioned to the bartender for another drink before looking at her watch. "I know I'm late," she heard a voice say behind her, "But now that you're filling in for Tony, I figured you'd have adopted his tardiness."

Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes sat in the bar stool next to hers and then let the silence of the moment wash over them. The absence they had both been feeling independently was only magnified by their meeting. "You know," he said, thinking aloud, "I don't think you and I have ever been together without…"

Pepper nodded. He didn't need to finish the sentence. While Pepper had logged in plenty of time hanging out with Hogan while accompanying their boss, she hadn't ever traveled with Tony and Rhodey. It wasn't because she didn't like the handsome military man. In fact, her distance was based on her deep respect for him. Pepper knew that he was the only other person who was able to keep Mr. Stark out of trouble. The time that the two men spent together was time that she could have to herself, without having to worry about any late night emergency phone calls.

At least that was true up until two weeks ago.

"It's not your fault," she said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Then why do I feel so guilty? If I had just been there with him…"

"Don't start that game." Pepper insisted. She was halfway through her third martini, just drunk enough to be unflinchingly honest. "If I hadn't been in such a hurry to get him on that plane so I could have my birthday in peace… if I had let him stay in his workshop tinkering until he was ready… maybe they would have attacked someone else's convoy. Maybe he'd be here, telling us the story about how his aversion to punctuality saved his life."

Uncomfortable silence hung in the air while they each nursed their drinks. Her alcohol consumption had gone up dramatically since Tony's disappearance, which would have amused him greatly. It was just that drinking was the only way to silence the constant concerns in her brain. It was unbelievable how much work it took to be Tony Stark, and having to deal with hundreds of daily decisions from what types of screws to buy to deciding the fate of entire companies. While Obadiah was still the interim President of Stark, Pepper still needed to vote on the issues before the board as Tony's proxy.

Then there was the larger problem, that there was no sign of Tony being alive. While she still clung to her belief that he was alive, like a drowning man clings to a life preserver, it was getting harder and harder to keep hanging on. The drinks managed to silence the annoying voice of reason in her head that was sure that he was gone.

"So," she said, finally talking, "Why don't we get down to the bad news."

Rhodey fiddled with his empty glass, refusing to make eye contact. "Why do you assume that it's bad news?"

"Because, you've spent every waking hour for the last 2 weeks in Afghanistan leading the search mission. The fact that you're here, alone, doesn't bode well. You're giving up, aren't you?"

"I'm not," he said, "But the military is ready to call off the search. They're having trouble justifying the continued expense. Luckily, I've convinced them that Tony Stark's mind holds enough national security secrets to justify another fortnight of looking."

For once, Pepper was glad that Tony Stark was the mastermind of military hardware. She had never been totally comfortable with Stark Industries weapon's business since she was, as Tony liked to call her, "a liberal peace loving hippie who didn't even have the benefit of being into free love."

He would give her the speeches, about how the military work just paid for the more humanitarian work and that only through the development of weapons could they create a more peaceful world. She'd listen to the well rehearsed monologues and then deliver a polite golf clap. "You aren't going to give me the pick up line," she said, as if wounded.

"What pick up line?"

"The one where you suggest that I come to personally watch how peacefully you sleep at night."

He'd shrug, that boyish grin large on his face. "Miss Potts, you know that whenever you want to see how I function in bed you only need to ask."

"I just don't know how you can do it? How can you use that mind of yours to kill people?"

His childish attitude slid away and he suddenly seemed much older and more serious. "I don't think about it, honestly. I'm an engineer. I solve problems. I don't much think about what those problems mean. Maybe the problem is getting an electron to break its bonding. Maybe it's finding a way to make a fossil fuel more clean burning. Maybe it's trying to hurt as many people as possible. I just focus on finding the answer. I'll let the philosophers worry about the details."

Once, following his acceptance of an award for the Stark Industries next generation landmines, Tony asked Pepper why she worked for him. "You should be out on the sidewalk with those protestors," he said, his words starting to slur, "but you're in this limo with me, and I can't figure out why."

"You know how much I hate job hunting," she said quickly, giving him a smile to show she was joking. The truth was, she didn't know why she worked for him. She hated the way he made his fortune. She hated the way he spent his fortune. But she stayed around, maybe just to see what would happen next.

She let those memories slide away as she finished another martini. "What happens after the two weeks?"

Rhodey leaned in towards her. "Actually, that's up to you."

"Me?"

"The military has been jumping at the chance to try out the new Stark Industries satellite software. So, if you can convince Stane to let us use it, I can convince them that finding Tony would be a great test case for it."

Pepper looked thoughtfully at him, as if seeing Rhodey for the first time. "This is extortion."

"Pepper…"

She pulled away from him and came to her feet ungracefully. She couldn't tell if her dizziness was from her anger or her drunkenness, but it was making it hard for her to express the rage welling up inside. "You say you're Tony's friend. But when push comes to shove, it comes out that you're only going to look for him if you get a new toy to play with. Go to hell, James."

As she tried to walk out of the bar her high heel slipped and she almost fell over. Rhodey was behind her, holding her up carefully. Keeping his hand on her arm, he led her outside where Hogan was waiting with the car. He helped her in and then, unexpectedly, slid next to her.

"Get out," she said, slurring her words.

"I'm not leaving until I'm sure you're home and safe." It was clear that he wasn't going to give in, so she relented. Her head felt heavy now, like she had rocks on top of her head. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and listened to the soft hum of the engine.

"You're right," Rhodey said in a voice so soft she thought she'd dreamt it. "But you have to know that it isn't me. It's my bosses. I've had to fly most of the reconnaissance flights myself because they keep cutting my manpower."

Opening her clear blue eyes, she stared at him seeing how broken he looked. "Fine," she relented, "I'll see what I can do."


End file.
